A blog for students of Professor Kagan's internet course to comment and highlight class topics. From the various channels for marketing on the internet, to multimedia and e-commerce business models, anything related to the class is fair game.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Virtual reality presents new opportunity for digital marketing

Making
Predictions about digital marketing is difficult partly because the landscape
will likely change so much, digital marketing will have to stretch its
definition to include the new variations it will encompass. One such change is
the continued development of virtual reality technology. Facebook acquired one
of the largest players in virtual reality, Oculus Rift. Facebook just announced
last week that the virtual reality technology they have been developing will be
compatible with sites like Hulu, Netflix and other personal streaming services.
As the article discusses, this means that virtual reality audiences will be
available for ads through those services creating a new platform brands can
reach their consumers.

This
will surely come as a relief for all of the advertisers that have had to adapt
to streaming sites themselves, and shift away from television. The development
of virtual reality though adds a new opportunity for brands to create an
experience akin to in-stores, but actually from the comforts of our homes. We could
hold a pair of shoes, try on a sweater or handle a new phone virtually.